Should My Nanny Have Nanny Liability Insurance?

When considering childcare, parents typically want the absolute best for their kids. With safety as the top priority, they want to hire someone dependable, smart, and careful. Babysitters and nannies carry a lot of responsibility. They are expected to look after children and infants as if they were their own family members.

If daycare isn’t an option or parents are looking for a more consistent caregiver, they might consider a nanny. Nannies typically work as full-time care providers and can become regular parts of children’s lives. They spend a lot more time with the children than babysitters, who are usually hired as short-term caregivers, do.

If you are a qualified or experienced nanny, it is worth considering making sure you’re covered with the appropriate insurance policy. It also adds to your credibility and helps give parents peace of mind that their family members are in good hands. If anything were to happen to the children under your watch, it can be a relief knowing that your insurance covers you. As a caregiver, you can’t predict if a child chokes on food or sticks their finger in an electrical socket. Life happens, and sometimes, we can get distracted.

Even though we do our best to prevent accidents, a number of things can happen unexpectedly while nannying or babysitting. No one wants to be at fault for events that happen out of the blue, so it is important to have some liability coverage in the form of nanny insurance. Depending on what state you live and work in, families and childcare employers should also think about getting workers’ compensation insurance for their nannies.

Use Insurify to shop for nanny insurance, employer’s liability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and more. There are a number of insurance companies in the market. Talk to an insurance agent to find the best policy for you.

Is nanny insurance required to work as a nanny?

While it is not legally required for nannies to have liability insurance, if you are a professional nanny, it is worth considering to make sure you’re covered if anything unexpected happens. You are acting as the main caregiver for someone else’s child. Liability insurance can cover legal costs if you are found at fault for child neglect or damage to the home and possible workers’ compensation for any bodily injuries that happen on the job.

It is a good safety net to have professional liability insurance, which protects any individual who provides a service. This includes nannies, independent contractors, and domestic workers. This coverage can safeguard them from paying the full cost when defending themselves in a lawsuit. General liability insurance can help protect against claims that clients and employers make. If nannies are accused of being at fault for any property damage, neglecting children on the job, or any related injury, it is crucial to have the right insurance coverage.

What is workers’ compensation coverage and should nannies have it?

Yes, nannies should have workers’ compensation coverage, but it is expected that employers (meaning the parents or legal guardians) provide a workers’ compensation policy for their employees (meaning the nannies or babysitters). Also known as workers’ comp, workers’ compensation insurance covers nannies who suffer bodily injury on the job. It can also cover medical bills and support costs in addition to any pre-existing health insurance policies. Workers’ compensation coverage can also help replace wages from events that caused them to lose work, like a nannying-related injury.

It should be pretty easy to purchase a workers’ compensation policy. Typically, you can just add this to your homeowners insurance or renters insurance policy (if you don’t own a home). If you’re unsure, you can check with your current insurance provider to see if this is possible. You can also buy workers’ comp coverage directly from a workers’ compensation insurance company.

Different states have different rules when it comes to covering domestic workers like nannies, babysitters, or other care providers. In regard to workers’ compensation coverage, nannies are considered full-time employees and will be covered under workers’ comp. To see what specific coverage domestic workers are eligible to receive, talk to an insurance agent. It is also important for employers to keep state-specific laws in mind when paying wages, withholding payroll taxes, and complying with immigration laws. This is especially important for domestic workers to avoid any issues with the IRS or other authorities.

What do I do if driving is part of my job as a nanny?

Many responsibilities come with acting as the primary caregiver for infants and children. Sometimes, families might need their nannies to pick up children from school or other activities, drive them to appointments, and run miscellaneous errands for them. Typically, employers will ask nannies to use their own cars for these tasks, rather than the family car. It is important to make sure that your auto insurance provider knows that you need to use your car on the job.

This means making sure you’re covered while driving. Nannies who are expected to drive need to have the appropriate coverage via auto insurance, which typically isn’t included in a standard nanny insurance policy. If you use a vehicle provided by the family, make sure that your employer adds your name to their auto insurance policy.

Professional nannies with extra responsibilities might also want to consider umbrella insurance. This is extra insurance that provides even more protection and gives coverage in addition to any pre-existing policies. An umbrella policy can include coverage for injuries, property damage, personal liability situations, specific lawsuits, and more.

If you are unsure which insurance policy is best for you, talk to your insurance agent!

Frequently Asked Questions

Nanny Liability: The Bottom Line

Care providers have a lot of responsibility. If you are a nanny, it can give you peace of mind to know that if an accident happens, your insurance covers you in the worst-case scenarios. Being expected to act as the main caregiver for someone else’s child can be rewarding but also comes with its own challenges. There is never a boring or predictable day when working with kids!

Parents always want the best childcare. With safety as the top priority, show them that you’re dependable, smart, and careful. Employers will be impressed and more confident in their nannies’ professionalism and abilities if they have a nanny insurance policy. This is clear evidence that you can get the job done, but with the safety net of knowing that you are covered in case, an accident happens—which is at the very nature of working in childcare!

Insurify helps anyone looking to compare prices, get better deductibles, or just see what exists in the market. Browse, compare, and discover with Insurify today!